Just Another Slytherin: Alternate Ending
by CarolinaFlint
Summary: Please read Just Another Slytherin first! This is a short one-shot to replace the final chapter. Enjoy!


**Just Another Slytherin: Alternate Ending**

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Carolina shifted her tote bag from her right to left shoulder and gently massaged the recently relieved joint. She was sure that beneath her sweater and bra strap, her skin would be bright red from the heavy weight.

It wasn't a far walk from the Ministry to St. Mungo's but today Carolina was carrying quite a bit more than usual. Fred would be coming home from the hospital this weekend and she didn't fancy the idea of having to run back to the office to pick up any extra work she might have forgotten on his first weekend home so she had, perhaps stubbornly, decided to bring nearly every scrap of paper on her desk with her that afternoon.

Finally, after three very long blocks, and shifting her bag back to her dominant side, she pushed her way through the glass doors of the old, dilapidated department store and into the hospital atrium.

Carolina could only imagine how busy the healers and trainees must have been over the past few weeks as she watched them scurry back and forth from room to room. She had heard that the Bonne Santé Forum in Paris had sent over a gaggle of healers to help the British ones keep up with the steady flow of injuries that had poured in after the Battle at Hogwarts.

Today was no exception; it seemed that everyone and their mother had come to visit loved ones and there was quite a long queue at the welcome desk.

Skillfully dodging a few well-intentioned work and Hogwarts acquaintances, Carolina sneaked past the line. She knew her way through this hospital like the back of her hand now, having visited every day since the Battle.

Normally she would scale the few stories up to the fourth floor for spell-damage but today she opted for the lift, feeling as if her shoulder would absolutely fall off if she didn't put her book bag down soon.

"Hello, Molly," Carolina said as she entered Fred's room. His mother had insisted that Carolina call her by her first name for the entire duration of first week after the Battle and Carolina had eventually given in.

"Ah, Carolina, dear!" Molly cooed, flicking her wand so that her knitting would continue to knit itself while she stood up to envelop Carolina in a tight hug. Perhaps it had been the near death experience of one of her sons, but Mrs. Weasley had started acting even warmer towards Carolina than she could remember.

"Sleeping, is he?" Carolina asked as she pulled away, eying Fred with a wary eye.

"Yes, that's right. He has been for the entire afternoon. Though Healer Bradshaw said that normally he's in good spirits around this time of day…" Molly trailed off, frowning and crossing her arms as she also eyed the limp form of her son on the hospital bed.

"Strange…" Carolina trailed off.

"Oh, I suppose he must be in ill spirits today," Molly continued conspiratorially, looking back again to Carolina and leaning in closer. "The healers decided to keep him here another week," she whispered, as if her words might wake Fred up and send him into a burning rage.

Carolina frowned. He was supposed to come home with her today.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear! You must have been expecting him to come home today as well! They only just did the inspection this morning," Molly said, sending Carolina a sympathetic look.

"Is he not doing better?"

"No, no… he's fine. It's just, well, the skele-grow seems to take longer on spines than other bones. Bit of a delicate business it seems and the nervous system only makes things more complicated…" Molly trailed off, her eyes once again turning back to her son.

Carolina took a deep breath in. "If you'd like to get home, Molly, I have some work and can sit with him until he wakes up. I'll let him know you were here."

"Oh, would you, dear? It's just that, Arthur will be home from work soon and I really should start on dinner."

"Of course," Carolina smiled.

"Stop by if you'd like! I'm making a roast!"

Carolina shrugged her shoulder that was still supporting the enormous weight of her paperwork. "Bit too much work tonight, but maybe tomorrow or Sunday."

"Yes, yes, they are keeping you busy at the Ministry, I'm sure… Arthur's being promoted, did he tell you that?"

"Yes, actually Kingsley told me."

"Of course, of course. Are you sure about dinner, dear?"

"Yes, thank you, Molly."

"Well, if you change your mind…" Mrs. Weasley said as she enveloped Carolina in another crushing hug, before flouncing out of the room, leaving Carolina in the completely still hospital room.

Carolina raised her eyebrows as she watched Fred's ear twitch.

"She's gone now. You can stop pretending to be asleep," she smirked.

A loud whoosh of air left Fred's lips as he delicately rolled over, exhaling a sigh. "I thought she'd never leave. Came by at three. She'd been just sitting there for over three hours!"

"Maybe if you hadn't faked sleeping she wouldn't have stayed so long," Carolina grinned, dropping her bag and rolling her shoulder back as she sat down on the edge of Fred's bed.

"Thought I was going to go mental if I had to listen to those bloody knitting needles one minute longer," Fred groaned.

"Good thing I'm here then," Carolina smirked again, leaning forward and placing a kiss on the side of his face, though Fred's lips didn't turn up at the corners as they normally did when she kissed him.

Carolina had an idea what had put him in such a foul mood. "So. One more week here."

Fred shrugged, though she could see him cringe at the motion. Obviously the healers were right to keep him here if such a small motion still caused him pain. "Yeah," he said, before grinning. "And I had promised you a nice evening tonight, hadn't I?"

"I think the phrase you used was that you were going to 'snog me silly,'" Carolina laughed.

"Did I say that? It does sound like me, doesn't it…" Fred winked, before the amusement disappeared from his eyes once more and he turned to gaze out of the small window at Muggle London.

"It's only one week," Carolina said quietly.

"It was supposed to be only one more week last week," Fred replied disdainfully.

Carolina gently put her hand on top of his limp one. She could only imagine what this must be like for someone like him… someone who was always, constantly moving. The pain of being cooped up in a bed all day was probably greater than any physical pain he was actually in.

"How about I make it up to you?" Carolina asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Last time we tried that you nearly severed my spine again," Fred grinned, causing Carolina to chuckle. That had been a particularly embarrassing incident… the healer had heard Fred's yelps of pain and rushed in only to find Carolina astride the patient.

"Well, how about something else? I could throw you a homecoming party?"

"You could…" Fred replied, a familiar and beloved spark returning to his eyes.

"That might be rather nice, actually," Carolina mused. "I think everyone could use a reason to celebrate and I'm sure George wouldn't mind helping me set up… maybe he'd even close the shop early and…"

"It could be an engagement party too," Fred cut in, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Really? Who's—is it Ron and Hermione? I know they got together after the battle, but that was certainly quick…" Carolina trailed off, a confused look ruffling her brow.

"Nope," Fred grinned. "Guess again."

"Surely not Harry and Ginny?"

"Wrong," Fred replied. "Right, I know it's around here somewhere… can you grab something for me from that drawer over there?" He asked, motioning to the bedside table just out of his reach.

Carolina rolled her eyes before standing up. "I'm very excited for you to regain full faculty of your limbs, you know. I feel like you've been milking your injuries for all they are worth."

"There a little box; if you could just grab it," Fred gestured.

"Fred, I—wait… what… is this a…?"

"I had George bring it over this morning when I thought I'd be going home," Fred shrugged.

"Fred…" Carolina held the small velvet box up in front of her. "You're… you're not, are you?"

"I could have died, you know?" Fred started to say as Carolina's eyes began to blur with tears. She felt the familiar tightness in her abdomen, the same that she had felt the first night they had kissed behind the tapestry in the secret passageway although this time it was tenfold. It felt like her insides were going to explode, like everything was going to burst out of her in a flash of joy and terror and clarity.

"Really, I thought I was about to and… There's no point in waiting and I know you said you wanted a proper proposal and if I could get down on one knee, I would but I'm a little… you know," he continued, motioning to his legs. "Anyways. Will you marry me?"

Carolina felt a lonely tear run down her left cheek as her face broke into the widest smile she thought she had ever smiled.

"Merlin, that's beautiful," Carolina crooned, taking the outstretched ring box into her hands and pulling the ruby-topped gold band. "I assume it's not a coincidence that it's Gryffindor colors?"

"Like I said, you'd look good in gold."

Carolina rolled her eyes, but continued grinning nonetheless as she gently pulled the ring from the box.

"So, you haven't said yes yet."

"Yes, of course!" Carolina said, slipping the ring on where it glinted beautifully on her finger, before her entire hand disappeared a moment later. "Fred!"

"Are you bloody kidding me? A disillusionment charm? You blood—now nobody will see it. Fred!"

Fred started laughing in response.

"I'm going to kill you!" Carolina roared, standing up and grabbing a pillow from off his bed and whacking him with it. "You're bloody incorrigible!"

"You can't threaten to kill a poor invalid like me! Healers! Healers! My fiancé is trying to off me!" He yelled as Carolina fell backwards onto his bed, her belly aching from laughter.

**THE END.**

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**Author's Note: **_Hey everyone! Sorry this took so long to put out. It was mostly written but I've been traveling for the past month or so and just didn't get around to publishing it. I hope you all enjoy this little happy ending. Also, if you are interested in reading more by me, I have a poll up on my profile so that you can vote on what I write next. I've started writing both of the next stories, so they will probably both get completed but if you have a preference, I'd love to know and that's the story I will attempt to finish first. I know I've said this before, but thanks for the incredible support! _


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